NeoPhotonics, a designer and manufacturer of photonic integrated circuit or PIC based modules and subsystems for high speed optical communications networks, has introduced new configurations of its multicast switch (MCS) modules.
The MCS modules are designed to be combined in a modular fashion to increase the number of degrees or directions supported by a ROADM node. Multicast switches are designed to be used in a next generation ROADM node to direct any wavelength to any port, accept input wavelength channels from multiple different directions, and be able to drop two identical wavelengths from different directions through the same switch, thereby increasing network flexibility and efficiency.
The modular approach to next-generation ROADM design allows network equipment manufacturers to install low port count modules which provide only the ports and directions that are initially needed and scale the system as necessary.
As the complexity of the network deployment grows, the modular multi-core approach uses advanced PIC technology to allow customers to increase the number of add/drop channels, and to expand the number of degrees or directions. Additional ports and directions are only added when traffic exists to support the expansion.